Regulation 7

Radio equipment: General

1 Every ship shall be provided with:
1.1 a VHF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving:
1.1.1 DSC (Digital Selective Calling) on the frequency 156.525 MHz (channel 70). It shall be
possible to initiate the transmission of distress alerts on channel 70 from the position from
which the ship is normally navigated;* and
1.1.2 radiotelephony on the frequencies 156.300 MHz (channel 6), 156.650 MHz (channel 13)
and 156.800 MHz (channel 16);
1.2 a radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous DSC watch on VHF channel 70
which may be separate from, or combined with, that required by subparagraph 1.1;*
1.3 a radar transponder capable of operating in the 9 GHz band, which:
1.3.1 shall be so stowed that it can be easily utilized; and
1.3.2 may be one of those required by regulation III/6.2.2 for a survival craft;
1.4 a receiver capable of receiving international NAVTEX service broadcasts if the ship is
engaged on voyages in any area in which an international NAVTEX service is provided;
1.5 a radio facility for reception of maritime safety information by the INMARSAT enhanced
group calling system if the ship is engaged on voyages in any area of INMARSAT
coverage but in which an international NAVTEX service is not provided. However, ships
engaged exclusively on voyages in areas where an HF direct-printing telegraphy
maritime safety information service is provided and fitted with equipment capable of
receiving such service, may be exempt from this requirement.*
1.6 subject to the provisions of regulation 8.3, a satellite emergency position-indicating radio
beacon (satellite EPIRB) which shall be:
1.6.1 capable of transmitting a distress alert either through the polar orbiting satellite service
operating in the 406 MHz band or, if the ship is engaged only on voyages within
INMARSAT coverage, through the INMARSAT geostationary satellite service operating in
the 1.6 GHz band;
1.6.2 installed in an easily accessible position;
1.6.3 ready to be manually released and capable of being carried by one person into a survival
craft;
1.6.4 capable of floating free if the ship sinks and of being automatically activated when afloat;
and
1.6.5 capable of being activated manually. 2 Every passenger ship shall be provided with
means for two-way onscene radiocommunications for search and rescue purposes using
the aeronautical frequencies 121.5 MHz and 123.1 MHz from the position from which the
ship is normally navigated.
Regulation 8
Radio equipment: Sea area A1
1 In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 7, every ship engaged on voyages
exclusively in sea area A1 shall be provided with a radio installation capable of initiating the transmission
of ship-to-shore distress alerts from the position from which the ship is normally navigated, operating
either:
1.1 on VHF using DSC; this requirement may be fulfilled by the EPIRB prescribed by
paragraph 3, either by installing the EPIRB close to, or by remote activation from, the
position from which the ship is normally navigated; or
1.2 through the polar orbiting satellite service on 406 MHz; this requirement may be fulfilled
by the satellite EPIRB, required by regulation 7.1.6, either by installing the satellite EPIRB
close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the ship is normally
navigated; or
1.3 if the ship is engaged on voyages within coverage of MF coast stations equipped with
DSC, on MF using DSC; or
1.4 on HF using DSC; or
1.5 through the INMARSAT geostationary satellite service; this requirement may be fulfilled
by:
1.5.1 an INMARSAT ship earth station;* or
1.5.2 the satellite EPIRB, required by regulation 7.1.6, either by installing the satellite EPIRB
close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the ship is normally
navigated.
2 The VHF radio installation, required by regulation 7.1.1, shall also be capable of transmitting and
receiving general radiocommunications using radiotelephony.
3 Ships engaged on voyages exclusively in sea area A1 may carry, in lieu of the satellite EPIRB
required by regulation 7.1.6, an EPIRB which shall be:
3.1 capable of transmitting a distress alert using DSC on VHF channel 70 and providing for
locating by means of a radar transponder operating in the 9 GHz band;
3.2 installed in an easily accessible position;
3.3 ready to be manually released and capable of being carried by one person into a survival
craft;
3.4 capable of floating free if the ship sinks and being automatically activated when afloat;
and
3.5 capable of being activated manually.



Regulation 9
Radio equipment: Sea areas A1 and A2
1 In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 7, every ship engaged on voyages beyond
sea area A1, but remaining within sea area A2, shall be provided with:
1.1 an MF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving, for distress and safety
purposes, on the frequencies:
1.1.1 2,187.5 kHz using DSC; and
1.1.2 2,182 kHz using radiotelephony;
1.2 a radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous DSC watch on the frequency
2,187.5 kHz which may be separate from, or combined with, that required by
subparagraph .1.1; and
1.3 means of initiating the transmission of ship-to-shore distress alerts by a radio service
other than MF operating either:
1.3.1 through the polar orbiting satellite service on 406 MHz; this requirement may be fulfilled
by the satellite EPIRB, required by regulation 7.1.6, either by installing the satellite EPIRB
close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the ship is normally
navigated; or
1.3.2 on HF using DSC; or
1.3.3 through the INMARSAT geostationary satellite service; this requirement may be fulfilled
by:
1.3.3.1 the equipment specified in paragraph 3.2; or
1.3.3.2 the satellite EPIRB, required by regulation 7.1.6, either by installing the satellite EPIRB
close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the ship is normally
navigated.
2 It shall be possible to initiate transmission of distress alerts by the radio installations specified in
paragraphs 1.1 and 1.3 from the position from which the ship is normally navigated.
3 The ship shall, in addition, be capable of transmitting and receiving general radiocommunications
using radiotelephony or direct-printing telegraphy by either:
3.1 a radio installation operating on working frequencies in the bands between 1,605 kHz and
4,000 kHz or between 4,000 kHz and 27,500 kHz. This requirement may be fulfilled by
the addition of this capability in the equipment required by paragraph 1.1; or
3.2 an INMARSAT ship earth station.
4 The Administration may exempt ships constructed before 1 February 1997, which are engaged
exclusively on voyages within sea area A2, from the requirements of regulations 7.1.1.1 and 7.1.2
provided such ships maintain, when practicable, a continuous listening watch on VHF channel 16. This
watch shall be kept at the position from which the ship is normally navigated.

Regulation 10
Radio equipment: Sea areas A1, A2 and A3
1 In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 7, every ship engaged on voyages beyond
sea areas A1 and A2, but remaining within sea area A3, shall, if it does not comply with the requirements
of paragraph 2, be provided with:
1.1 an INMARSAT ship earth station capable of:
1.1.1 transmitting and receiving distress and safety communications using direct-printing
telegraphy;
1.1.2 initiating and receiving distress priority calls;
1.1.3 maintaining watch for shore-to-ship distress alerts, including those directed to specifically
defined geographical areas;
1.1.4 transmitting and receiving general radiocommunications, using either radiotelephony or
direct-printing telegraphy; and
1.2 an MF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving, for distress and safety
purposes, on the frequencies:
1.2.1 2,187.5 kHz using DSC; and
1.2.2 2,182 kHz using radiotelephony; and
1.3 a radio installation capable of maintaining a continuous DSC watch on the frequency
2,187.5 kHz which may be separate from or combined with that required by
subparagraph .2.1; and
1.4 means of initiating the transmission of ship-to-shore distress alerts by a radio service
operating either:
1.4.1 through the polar orbiting satellite service on 406 MHz; this requirement may be fulfilled
by the satellite EPIRB, required by regulation 7.1.6, either by installing the satellite EPIRB
close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the ship is normally
navigated; or
1.4.2 on HF using DSC; or Part C: Ship requirements Regulations 9, 10
1.4.3 through the INMARSAT geostationary satellite service, by an additional ship earth
station or by the satellite EPIRB required by regulation 7.1.6, either by installing the
satellite EPIRB close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the ship is
normally navigated.
2 In addition to meeting the requirements of regulation 7, every ship engaged on voyages beyond
sea areas A1 and A2, but remaining within sea area A3, shall, if it does not comply with the requirements
of paragraph 1, be provided with:
2.1 an MF/HF (medium frequency/high frequency) radio installation capable of transmitting
and receiving, for distress and safety purposes, on all distress and safety frequencies in
the bands between 1,605 kHz and 4,000 kHz and between 4,000 kHz and 27,500 kHz:
2.1.1 using DSC;
2.1.2 using radiotelephony; and
2.1.3 using direct-printing telegraphy; and
2.2 equipment capable of maintaining DSC watch on 2,187.5 kHz, 8,414.5 kHz and on at
least one of the distress and safety DSC frequencies 4,207.5 kHz, 6,312 kHz, 12,577 kHz
or 16,804.5 kHz; at any time, it shall be possible to select any of these DSC distress and
safety frequencies. This equipment may be separate from, or combined with, the
equipment required by subparagraph .1; and
2.3 means of initiating the transmission of ship-to-shore distress alerts by a
radiocommunication service other than HF operating either:
2.3.1 through the polar orbiting satellite service on 406 MHz; this requirement may be fulfilled
by the satellite EPIRB, required by regulation 7.1.6, either by installing the satellite EPIRB
close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the ship is normally
navigated; or
2.3.2 through the INMARSAT geostationary satellite service; this requirement may be fulfilled
by:
2.3.2.1 an INMARSAT ship earth station; or
2.3.2.2 the satellite EPIRB, required by regulation 7.1.6, either by installing the satellite EPIRB
close to, or by remote activation from, the position from which the ship is normally
navigated; and
2.4 in addition, ships shall be capable of transmitting and receiving general using
radiotelephony or directprinting telegraphy by an MF/HF radio installation operating on
working frequencies in the bands between 1,605 kHz and 4,000 kHz and between 4,000
kHz and 27,500 kHz. This requirement may be fulfilled by the addition of this capability in
the equipment required by subparagraph .1.
3 It shall be possible to initiate transmission of distress alerts by the radio installations specified in
paragraphs 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1 and 2.3 from the position from which the ship is normally navigated.
4 The Administration may exempt ships constructed before 1 February 1997, and engaged
exclusively on voyages within sea areas A2 and A3, from the requirements of regulations 7.1.1.1 and
7.1.2 provided such ships maintain, when practicable, a continuous listening watch on VHF channel
16. This watch shall be kept at the position from which the ship is normally navigated.